The fourth day of the Hainan Island PKRA world tour stop brought an unexpected bout of no wind, which surprised riders who arrived early to the beach, ready to begin the double eliminations. The forecast for this day looked promising, and as such, all competitors remained amped and excited to continue the action – some looking to hold onto their positions and others ready to redeem themselves.

The hot and humid day, however, had different plans. Passing the time with Sudoku games, social media, and lounge time in the rider’s area of the event site, competitors hoped with every calm breeze that passed, that better conditions were moments away. In the afternoon, the wind did begin to pick up, and riders acted quickly to pump up their kites in preparation.

Unfortunately they realized their wishful thinking did not materialize, and the wind began to die just as suddenly as it had picked up. The race director, Erik Troostheide, remained hopeful and set up hourly announcements until 2:30, at which time the day was called with an unfavorable forecast for the remainder of the afternoon.

In loo of competition, riders spent their free time soaking in the hotel pools and exploring the city, which many find quite captivating. A few riders even traveled to a nearby temple, enjoying the many cultural wonders of the region. The judges also took advantage of this break in competition to deliberate over the rules for the 2013 season.

Reflecting on this day without competition, Manuela Jungo (SVE) commented that she wished the riders could have at least done some slalom races, as it was a really great way to spend a light wind day.

For tomorrow, the forecast is expected to be good in the morning for the beginning of the double eliminations. Keeping their finger’s crossed, the riders will spend the night in anticipation, hoping to continue the hard fought battle into this second round.